Nevada: US Supreme Court won’t hear Nevada ballot case | The Washington Post

Nevada’s unique “none of the above” voting option for statewide races will remain an election spoiler for the foreseeable future after the U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to consider an appeal by national Republicans. The decision came after Republicans sued in 2012 to get the option, appearing as “none of these candidates,” stricken from the ballot, fearing it could siphon votes from a disgruntled electorate and sway the outcome of close presidential races and Nevada U.S. Senate contests. The option has been on the ballot since 1976. It applies only to statewide races and was enacted by the Legislature to try to curb voter apathy in the wake of the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon. The intent was to give voters a way to voice their displeasure with candidates and elected officials at the ballot box.

Nevada: Republican Assemblyman criticized for remarks about minority, young voters | Las Vegas Review-Journal

Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno, has come under fire this week, including from Sen. Dean Heller, for making comments that may have been factually correct but are unwise in today’s political world. During a Tuesday appearance on a Reno radio talk show, Hickey said Republicans in Nevada may pick up seats in next year’s election because many minorities and young people don’t vote in non-presidential elections. “Probably where we had a million voters turn out in 2012, we’ll have like 700,000,” Hickey told radio station KOH. “A lot of minorities and a lot of younger people will not turn out in a non-presidential (year). It’s a great year for Republicans.” Democrats have a 97,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans and control the state Senate, 11-10, and Assembly, 27-15. Heller, R-Nev., in a statement Thursday called the assemblyman’s comments “divisive, insensitive, and run counter to the basic duties and honor of public service. Assemblyman Hickey should know that it is a privilege to represent Nevada’s many cultures and ethnicities.”

Nevada: Pat Hickey, Nevada Legislator, Explains Minority Voting Comments | Huffington Post

The top Republican in the Nevada Assembly said during a radio talk show Tuesday that low turnout from minority and young voters could contribute to a winning election season for the GOP in 2014. Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey (R-Reno) is coming under fire from state Democrats for comments he made on the Dan Mason Show on KOH 780-AM radio in Nevada. "We have some real opportunities in 2014," Hickey said during the Tuesday broadcast. "It is a great year in a non-presidential election. Seemingly no Democrats at the top of the ticket against (Republican Gov. Brian) Sandoval. No Harry Reid. Probably where we had a million voters out there in 2012, we have 700,000. A lot of minorities, a lot of younger people will not turn out in a non-presidential. It is a great year for Republicans."

Nevada: Sandoval vetoes bill to expand early voting in Nevada | Associated PRess

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has said no to extending voter registration deadlines in Nevada. The Republican governor late Friday vetoed AB440, along with three other bills. The measure would have extended Nevada's voter registration deadlines to the Friday before a primary or general election through early voting. If someone registered in person during the early voting period, they would have been allowed to vote. Under current law the deadline comes three weeks before an election.

Nevada: Senate approves extending voter registration | Reno Gazette-Journal

The Nevada Senate has approved extending voter registration deadlines on a party-line vote. Senators late Thursday passed AB440 on a vote of 11-10. It now goes back to the Assembly for a technical adjustment before heading to the governor and an uncertain fate. The bill extends voter registration through the end of early voting, now the Friday before an election. People who register in person during early voting would be allowed to cast a ballot immediately.

Nevada: Miller under attack as he pursues campaign finance reform | Las Vegas Sun

An out-of-state conservative group wants you to call Democratic Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller and tell him that you’re “sick of his costly hypocrisy.” If you think this sounds like a campaign ad, that’s because it is. A group called the State Government Leadership Foundation has attacked Miller for sponsoring a transparency and good-governance bill at the Legislature while alleging that Miller hasn’t been ethical himself. Ironically, some of the “lavish gifts” Miller has received would be curtailed under his banner bill, which he calls the Aurora Act. Miller also defends the gifts, which include football games, theatrical performances and UFC fights. “I disclose absolutely everything,” he said, noting that the gifts are legal.

Nevada: Support withers for Nevada voter registration bill | Associated Press

A bill to extend Nevada's voter registration period ran into trouble on Tuesday when Democrats on a Senate panel questioned why it was needed. Sen. Pat Spearman, D-North Las Vegas, pleaded with her Democratic colleagues to pass AB440 and send the debate to the Senate floor. When that seemed futile, she delayed a vote until Thursday — a day before the deadline for committee passage — to let supporters try to sway Democratic skeptics Sens. Mark Manendo of Las Vegas and Kelvin Atkinson of North Las Vegas. The bill passed the Assembly in April with a 25-16 vote. The bill would extend voter registration to the Friday before a primary or general election. People who register in person during the early voting period would be allowed to cast a ballot immediately.

Nevada: Bill would allow same day voter registration in Nevada | Reno Gazette-Journal

A bill to allow same day voter registration in Nevada is being met with familiar arguments for and against the issue. AB440 presented by Democratic Assemblyman James Ohrenschall of Las Vegas and Secretary of State Ross Miller would extend registration in the 2014 election cycle through the early voting period, which ends the Friday before Election Day. Same-day registration would begin in 2016. Currently, registration closes three weeks before an election.

Nevada: Secretary of State Miller battles perceptions in pushing bill for photos in voter rosters | Reno Gazette-Journal | rgj.com

Ross Miller’s goal in his final legislative session as Nevada’s secretary of state is to give Nevada voters, “undeniably the best election system in the country,” he said. And in a state that sees itself at the bottom of key national rankings, Miller adds, “And what’s the matter with Nevada being first?” Miller, however, faces a steep challenge in getting his “Election Modernization” bill through the Legislature. Problems to passage include money, necessity and perhaps the most difficult issue — perception. People easily form a misunderstanding of Miller’s Senate Bill 63. It would replace Nevada’s paper voters rosters with electronic ones. One of the keys of the laptop-friendly system would be the use of driver’s license photos from the Department of Motor Vehicles — as well as the current system of personal signatures — to identify voters. When people hear the word, “photo,” they jump to wrong conclusions, said Miller, a Democrat. Some fear the law means a voter must carry a government photo identification to vote. It doesn’t.

Nevada: State Senate bill would allow betting on federal elections | Atlantic City Press

In Europe, it’s known as novelty betting. Bookmakers from Paddy Power to William Hill post odds and take bets on a variety of activities, from who looks good to win the Nobel Prizes this year to whether Prince Harry’s next girlfriend will be a blonde or a brunette and who might host the Oscars in 2014. Paddy Power’s favorite to host the Oscar’s next year is Justin Timberlake at 2-to-1 . The odds are 8-to-11 that Harry’s next girlfriend will be a blonde. But what produces increased publicity if only modest handle for British bookmakers is betting on U.S. politics. And oddsmakers and gambling industry analysts in Las Vegas said that if successful, a Nevada state senator’s efforts to legalize betting on politics will produce more notoriety than revenue. The state Senate Finance Committee on Monday introduced Senate Bill 418, which would allow betting on federal elections in Nevada casinos. Chairman Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said Nevada is missing out on millions of dollars by not allowing betting on presidential and federal elections. He also said he sees nothing wrong about adding the Academy Awards to the list of events for betting.

Nevada: Proposal to use photos to allow Nevada voting gets mixed reaction | Reno Gazette-Journal

Secretary of State Ross Miller’s plan to digitize Nevada polling records and add voter photos to the database was met with mixed reaction Thursday from county registrars who applauded the modernization effort but were concerned it would still allow people to cast a ballot if photos and signatures didn’t match. Miller, in presenting SB63 to the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, said the bill was “an opportunity for state, not the voter, to ensure that every eligible voter is able to exercise their right.” He added no voter be required to “produce a piece of plastic” before casting a ballot. No action was taken by the committee. Passage appeared unlikely given the cool reception it received from Democrats and Republicans’ preference for voter identification cards.

Nevada: Ninth Circuit Seems Disinclined to Invalidate Nevada’s “None of These Candidates” Law | Ballot Access News

On March 11, the 9th circuit heard arguments in Townley v Miller, 12-16881. The hearing went badly for the people who filed the lawsuit, and those people and groups include the Nevada Republican Party. They argue that Nevada’s law, which puts “none of these candidates” on the primary and general election ballot for statewide office, discriminates against voters who choose to vote for “none of these candidates.” They argue that these voters don’t get what they want, because even if “none of these” gets a plurality, that has no effect. The problem with this argument is that it seems insincere. The people who filed the lawsuit are perceived to simply desire that “none of these candidates” be eliminated from the ballot. They don’t seem to really want “none of these” to have binding effect. They seem to be partisan Republicans who feel if “none” were removed, Republican nominees would gain an advantage in November.

Nevada: Voter ID photo costs less than expected | ReviewJournal.com

Secretary of State Ross Miller said Tuesday the cost of his proposal to include photos of voters in election poll books used at polling places to prevent fraud is $787,200, far less than originally estimated. The original estimate was between $5 million and $10 million, but that was based only on a similar proposal discussed in Minnesota. "Less than $800,000 is a small price to pay to enhance and modernize our existing system," Miller said. "When we have the opportunity to increase access to our polling locations and further strengthen the security of our system, without disenfranchising any voters, we should do so. With 1.3 million active registered voters in Nevada, upgrading the system would only cost 60 cents per voter."

Nevada: Roxanne Rubin, Nevada Republican, Accepts Plea Deal After Committing Voter Fraud | Huffington Post

A Nevada Republican arrested for voter fraud in the 2012 election, after claiming she was trying to test the system's integrity, pled guilty and accepted a plea deal Thursday, forcing her to pay almost $2,500 and promise to stay out of trouble. Roxanne Rubin, 56, a casino worker on the Las Vegas Strip, was arrested on Nov. 3, 2012 after trying to vote twice, once at her poling site in Henderson and then at a second site in Las Vegas. The poll workers at the second site said that she had already voted, but Rubin said that she hadn't and insisted on casting a ballot, which the poll workers refused to allow her to do.

Nevada: Secretary of State grilled over voter verification proposal | ReviewJournal.com

Secretary of State Ross Miller on Friday faced tough questions at a public hearing about his proposal to use photos to verify voters' identities, with opponents worried the system could be costly or allow ineligible voters and non-citizens to cast ballots. In response, Miller said an electronic poll book using photos of registered voters instead of signatures would allow immediate ID checks with government databases, ensuring no fraud. He argued it would be more reliable and bring the election system into the Internet age of online records. "It would actually be more secure," Miller said at a two-hour forum at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Nevada: Secretary of State Miller pitches state voter ID bill to Reno Republicans | Reno Gazette-Journal

Secretary of State Ross Miller presented his case for a Nevada voter ID bill at Reno’s Republican Men’s Club and got a warm reception. Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick was cheered loudly when he stood up and said “It’s about time Nevada has a voter ID bill.” Miller, a Democrat, was complimented by many in the audience for what he called “stepping into the lion’s den,” and presenting his plan to a group of Republicans. Yet Miller could get a better reception from the GOP than from his own party, noted State Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, who spoke earlier in the day and questioned the $10 million possible price tag for the bill.

Nevada: Miller’s voter identification proposal could ease way for same-day registration | Las Vegas Sun News

Democratic Secretary of State Ross Miller’s announcement this month that he would pursue a new voter identification approach sent Democrats sounding the voter suppression alarm bells, while Republicans applauded the news. But the carrot Miller is trying to use to lure his liberal base back into the fold isn’t one that Republicans would relish chomping. Miller hasn’t spoken much about it publicly, but privately he is working to assuage the concerns of liberal Democrats by touting the fact his idea for electronically linking driver’s license photos to the voting rolls could be a step toward same-day voter registration in Nevada.

Nevada: Clark County elections chief endorses voter ID proposal | ReviewJournal.com

The head of the Clark County Election Department on Monday supported Secretary of State Ross Miller's proposal to use photos to verify voters' identities at the polls, arguing a new system could make it easier for election workers and cut down on intimidation. Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said political campaigns and parties now send poll watchers to ensure election clerks properly check every voter signature on paper, creating a tense atmosphere. At the same time, voters often object when asked to show ID when their signatures don't appear to match the registration book, he added. Nevada law doesn't require showing ID before voting, but it can be requested to verify identity.

Nevada: Democratic leaders oppose voter photo | Elko Daily

A proposal by Democratic Secretary of State Ross Miller to seek a voter photo requirement in the upcoming Legislature appears dead before arrival, with legislative leaders of his own party expressing opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, and Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas question how Nevada can afford the $10 million to $20 million price tag of a voter ID program when the state faces more pressing needs. Denis said there was scant evidence of organized voter fraud in the fall elections, so it makes no sense to implement the Miller plan.

Nevada: Liberal activists suspicious, conservatives applaud Miller’s voter ID proposal | Las Vegas Sun News

Since taking office, Secretary of State Ross Miller has declared Nevada’s electoral system to be safe enough from fraud that a voter identification system shouldn’t be a priority. On Tuesday, he took a step back from that line, proposing a hybrid photo ID system to help protect the integrity of future elections. “I don’t believe voter fraud is happening on a widespread basis, but elections are about perception,” Miller said in an interview Tuesday. “You have to do everything you can to put enough safeguards in the system so that people feel confident in the integrity of the process.” Miller’s proposal, which he will introduce during the next legislative session, includes linking Nevada’s voter lists with photos from the Department of Motor Vehicles so the voter's picture would be displayed for poll workers before a ballot is cast. Voters who don’t have a driver's license would have their picture taken and entered into the system the first time they vote in person.

Nevada: Miller calls for voter photo ID law in Nevada | ReviewJournal.com

Spurred by many Nevadans complaining during this year's contentious elections that some people were voting illegally, Secretary of State Ross Miller said Tuesday he will sponsor a bill at the Legislature to require voter photo IDs. Under his proposal that will be considered by lawmakers in 2013, the photos on residents' driver's licenses would be placed electronically with their voter registration records and in the poll books at election locations. People without any identification, but who are registered, would be required to have their pictures taken by poll workers and sign an affidavit that they are the person they represent the first time they vote.

Nevada: Republicans ‘Test’ For Voting Fraud, Wind Up In Custody | TPM

Two Republicans in separate states were taken into police custody during the past week for allegedly attempting to test how easy it would be to commit voter fraud. In Nevada, 56-year-old Roxanne Rubin, a Republican, was arrested on Nov. 2 for allegedly trying to vote twice, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The newspaper quoted a report by an investigator with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office that said Rubin “was unhappy with the process; specifically in that her identification was not checked.”

Nevada: States rebut RNC complaints about e-voting systems | Computerworld

In a sign of increasing anxiety over the use of electronic voting machines, the Republican National Committee this week alleged problems with e-voting machines in six states that use them for early voting. John Phillippe, general counsel of the RNC, contended in a letter to the secretaries of state in Nevada, Ohio, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri and Colorado that voting machine errors caused some early votes cast for Gov. Mitt Romney to be credited to President Barack Obama. Phillippe said in the letter that the RNC learned about the alleged voting machine errors from media and citizen reports. The RNC letter evoked an angry response from a Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, who called the RNC claims "irresponsible" and "unfortunate," and said that they are based on rumor, hearsay and unconfirmed media reports.

Nevada: Early Voting Problems in Nevada | KOLO

The Washoe County Registrar of Voters reports more than 9,600 people came out for the first day of early voting on Saturday, but the process wasn't without problems. Voters at the Sun Valley Neighborhood Center were forced to wait hours to cast their ballots. For most of the day, only three machines were available, resulting in long lines of people. "I've never waited in line, ever," Debbie Shade, a long-term resident of Sun Valley said. Multiple complaints to the Registrar of Voters Office resulted in two more machines becoming available. Luanne Cutler, Administrative Assistant for the Washoe County Registrar of Voters said they did send fewer machines to the location for two reasons. One reason being the space available to them only fit three machines, and the second reason is they based the number of past voter participation. But some voters aren't buying that excuse.

Nevada: ‘None of the above’ voting option not dead yet | The Associated Press

Nevada's "none of the above" voting option will be on the November ballot following an emergency stay sought by the secretary of state's office and granted by a federal appeals court. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked the injunction Tuesday and had strong words for U.S. District Judge Robert Jones, who last month declared the voting option unconstitutional and struck it from the ballot. One appellate judge accused Jones, chief judge in Nevada, of deliberate foot-dragging by delaying hearings in the case and not issuing a written order in time for state lawyers to appeal before ballots must be printed. "His dilatory tactics appear to serve no purpose other than to seek to prevent the state from taking an appeal of his decision before it must print the ballots," 9th Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote. He concluded, "Such arrogance and assumption of power by one individual is not acceptable in our judicial system."

Nevada: Judge Slammed for Delaying Nevada “None of the Above” Appeal | Courthouse News Service

Nevadans can pick "none of the above" on Election Day, the 9th Circuit ruled while blasting a federal judge who tried to delay the appeal. The ruling marks a setback for Republicans who hoped to remove the unique option so that dissatisfied voters would pick Mitt Romney if forced to make a choice. Eleven voters from all parties, including former Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury and the state's Republican Party Secretary James DeGraffenreid, sued Nevada and its secretary of state in June. The Republican National Committee sought to remove the option that has been on all Nevada ballots since 1976. Nevada is the only state to offer such an option. U.S. District Judge Robert Jones ruled in August that the state's "none of these candidates" ballot option is unconstitutional and must be removed. But a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit entered an immediate stay late Tuesday. On Wednesday, the court amended the three-page order and the lengthy concurring opinion from Judge Stephen Reinhardt.

Nevada: Federal judge strikes down Nevada’s “none of the above” voting option | The Washington Post

A quirky Nevada law that Republicans feared could siphon votes from a disgruntled electorate and sway the outcome of close presidential and U.S. Senate races in the state was struck down Wednesday by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Robert Jones said the state’s decades-old ballot alternative of “none of the above” was unconstitutional because votes for “none” don’t count in the final tallies that determine winners. The ruling came at the end of a lively hearing where the judge challenged both sides in the legal arguments with hypothetical questions and ramifications of possible rulings he was considering. In the end, he struck the option down altogether for both federal and statewide races, and refused to grant a stay while his decision is appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Secretary of State Ross Miller said his office would pursue “an immediate and expedited appeal to protect the long-standing public interest of the ‘none of these candidates’ option.”

Nevada: Americans for Prosperity in a bind over Nevada rules on donor details | Politico.com

Americans for Prosperity spent tens of millions of dollars on the 2010 election and will spend tens of millions more this year to see conservative advocates of limited government elected — all without revealing any of its contributors. Taking advantage of a complex web of federal laws, the group, founded and financed by billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch, has successfully kept its donors secret. But when AFP decided to wade into a Nevada Senate primary in June, it might have triggered a state law that could open its donor list to the public. In a complaint filed July 19, the Nevada Democratic Party asked Secretary of State Ross Miller to investigate whether the nonprofit organization must report the contributions it received to fund mailers attacking state Senate candidate Kelvin Atkinson, a Democratic assemblyman from North Las Vegas.

Nevada: In Nevada, ‘None’ a Fearsome Foe for the GOP | NationalJournal.com

President Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney must face down a dubious and slippery opponent in Nevada this November. The mystery foe cannot be tamed with television ads and never breaks a campaign pledge. Its name is “none of these candidates.” Nevada is the only state in the nation to offer voters the quirky ballot choice, and for more than three decades, statewide candidates here have had to contend with it. But this year, nervous Republicans have filed a federal lawsuit to try to oust “none” from the ballot. They worry that “none” could siphon away a sufficient number of anti-Obama voters from Romney to throw the state to the president. And because the Silver State's six electoral votes are some of the most hotly contested in the nation, Republicans don’t want to leave anything to chance.

Nevada: Candidates for Presidential Elector in Nevada File Lawsuit to Remove “None of the Above” from November 2012 Ballot | Ballot Access News

On June 8, two Republican nominees for presidential elector from Nevada filed a federal lawsuit, asking that “None of the Above” be removed from the November 2012 ballot and future years. The case is Townley v State of Nevada, 3:12-cv-00310. Here is the 16-page complaint. Besides the elector candidates, the complaint lists nine voter plaintiffs. Starting in 1976, Nevada has printed “none of the above” on primary and general election ballots, but only for statewide office. The lawsuit argues that because a vote for “None of the above” has no legal effect, the voters who vote for “None of the above” are being harmed, because their vote has no effect. The complaint says if a victory by “None of the above” had any legal consequences, then it would be constitutional.